I Will Survive
by imdeadsothere
Summary: Putting the one you love back together is difficult, especially when you're the one that tore him apart. SLASH. ONE-SHOT.


Damn, I haven't been on here in AGES! I feel so guilty! Anyway, I feel the need to explain this story and it's dorky, ridiculous title. So one day, while I was obsessively listening to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor I just got the random urge to write, and this story was born. So, yeah, now you know! I was going to change the title but then I was like "No! That song is a part of this story! It is its roots, without that song this story would not have come into being! It would be like trying to remove the 'pa' from 'park'! Then all you get is 'rk', and it just doesn't work!" and I felt an intense need to honor Gloria Gaynor, and so I kept the title when I published this story. And btw, the story is NOTHING like the song! Like, not even close! So don't be fooled! but feel free to play the song while reading the story, I feel it adds a powerful undertone, or I'm just crazy. Most likely the latter, but whatevs, on with the story! Toodles!

The rain fell.

As it had been falling for the past month. And if it wasn't raining, it was cloudy. The sun never shone anymore. It had died with the hope of the world, and Harry James Potter had died along with it.

The house was silent save for the patter of the rain that echoed through out the empty hallways. Though there were people in the house, plenty in fact, it never felt like it. But that's because Harry was trapped in his own world, lost, forgotten, alone, spending his days in a chair, staring out the window at the rain as it fell upon his dreams, soaking them till they disappeared into the dirt.

Harry sighed and turned his head slightly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Draco Malfoy, hovering in the corner. He'd been there for a while, Harry had heard him come in. You'd think Draco would look happy, what with Voldemort finally having won, and he getting Harry forced into marriage with him. But instead he just looked sadder than ever. He was just as much the shell of a man as Harry was.

"Hello Draco," Harry whispered quietly. He wasn't used to speaking, as he rarely ever did.

"Hello Harry," Draco replied.

"What brings you here?" Harry asked. He'd been at the Malfoy Manor for two months already, and had only recently found this room, located in the far corner of the house. It was abandoned and forgotten, just like him.

"You," Draco replied.

"Were you looking for me?" Draco nodded.

"Well now you've found me, why were you looking for me?"

"Just making sure you were okay," Draco whispered. He looked down at his shoes and quickly left the room. Draco wasn't much for one when it came to the truth, but he somehow always managed it for Harry. To everyone else he lied like a rat, as far as the Death Eaters were concerned, Draco brutally raped Harry almost daily. But that was a lie, in truth Draco hadn't laid a finger on Harry, though they slept in the same bed they both stuck to their respective sides, they hardly even spoke to each other.

Harry turned back towards the window. There was silence for a moment before small footsteps approached and a small girl stepped into the room. Harry recognized her by the way she walked, small steps, quick feet, and always making noise.

"I don't like it when you come here, I don't know this part of the house as well," the girl said. Harry turned to face her. She was small, with long blonde hair that gently curled and smooth white skin like porcelain. She looked like a doll, if it weren't for her milky blue eyes. Jaylee Malfoy was blind.

"Guess you'll just have to learn it," Harry said quietly. Jaylee was silent for a moment before coming forward to him, having pinpointed his exact location by sound. Jaylee had the entire Malfoy Manor memorized, considering that she hadn't left it since she was born, but certain parts of the house she knew better than others. And what she didn't know, she learned by sound. The noise echoing off the surfaces told her where everything was, tables, chairs, the carpet, the walls, everything.

Jaylee sat down on the floor in front of Harry and stared up at him. Her ears were so sensitive she could even hear his breathing.

"So, how's the weather?" Jaylee asked.

"Rainy," Harry replied.

"I know," Jaylee said, "I can hear it. How are things with you and Draco?"

"Well he's not brutally raping me every night," Harry said, almost as if it were a joke. Jaylee cracked a small smile.

"I know," she said, "or I'd hear it. And how are you?"

"Fine," Harry replied.

"No you're not," she said, "I can hear you." Harry looked down at her and smiled lightly, when he was with Jaylee was the only time he ever even came close to really smiling. She was so young and innocent, and considering that most of the world didn't even know she existed (including Death Eaters, Harry could count on one hand the number of people that knew about her), there was no one around to hurt her.

"You just know everything, now don't you?" Harry muttered.

"Only what I hear," Jaylee said, "and see."

That was the peculiar thing about Jaylee. Most of what she could see was just large blobs of color, but the one thing she could see clearly was death. Not the man, but the bodies. Corpses, all of them. If she stood in a room with a dead person everyone around her would be fuzzy blobs but the deceased would be crystal clear. And as people died, they got clearer and clearer. Sick people who were nearing death she could see, old people, anyone who was dead or dying. Harry sighed and looked out the window. It was getting dark.

"It's almost dinnertime," Harry mumbled, "we should probably get to dinner."

"We're eating in your room today," Jaylee said, "the Death Eaters are having a meeting."

"Oh," Harry said, "well, lets go then." Harry stood up and grabbing Jaylee's hand and dragging her along with him, he brought them both to the large room that he and Draco shared.

Draco was already there, one of the house elves appeared to have brought up a small table and Draco sat at on end of it. Harry moved forward and sat across from him while Jaylee sat down in between them.

"What's to eat?" she asked.

"Potatoes," Draco replied, "and broccoli."

"Yummy!" Jaylee said eagerly, grabbing the closest bowl and dumping some of it's contents on her plate, then repeating with everything else. Harry waited for her before serving himself a small batch of potatoes and broccoli. There was more, but he wasn't hungry for any of it. Nowadays, he usually only ate enough to survive. Draco appeared to be doing the same, eating just enough to remain alive.

They ate in silence, Harry ate slowly, but there was so little on his plate that he finished around the same time as Jaylee who had served herself a ton but shoveled everything in as fast as she could.

"So now what?" Jaylee asked, finishing her last bite.

"It's bedtime for you girlie," Draco said, "c'mon, let's go." He took her hand and led her out, though she could have easily found her way back to her room herself, she usually let Harry and Draco lead her around anyway. It made Harry feel like he wasn't completely worthless, but God knows why Draco did it.

Harry stood up and went into the bathroom. Closing the door he quickly took care of his business, going to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and making sure no large cancerous tumors had manifested in the period of a couple of hours. Not that Harry really was worried about large cancerous tumors, he didn't actually check for them. It was just difficult to explain why he really spent forever just staring at himself in the mirror. In truth, he was just checking to make sure that it was still Harry Potter that looked back, or what was left of him anyway.

When Harry came back out Draco still hadn't returned, but the table had been removed. Harry quickly changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. He didn't mind sharing a bed with Draco Malfoy, the bed was so large it felt like he was alone in it anyway. It was the nightmares he couldn't stand. Harry hadn't had a full nights sleep in ages.

And it was always the same dream too. He was running through the Malfoy manor, he was trying to find someone. He didn't know who, but they were there, and he had to find them because they were in danger and he needed to help them, only the house was a maze of hallways. He'd turn one corner only to find himself in a hallway he could have sworn he'd just passed. The doors seemed to move, the staircases were sometimes there, sometimes not, even the walls moved. As if the whole damn mansion was determined to keep him from finding that person. And sometimes when he'd think he'd found them, he'd turn a corner only to find a blank space of wall.

Harry curled up tightly, it wasn't the dream itself that was scary, it was the repetitiveness. It was wearing on him, and he didn't know if he'd ever break free of this nightmare. Sometimes he wondered if he'd truly get lost in it, and never wake up, forever wandering those hallways of his nightmares. Harry fell asleep before Draco returned, letting himself go from one nightmare into another. Which was worse, he wasn't quite sure.

Harry was fast asleep by the time Draco returned. He could tell by the softness of his breathing. He stopped for a moment, staring at the sleeping form, Harry's black hair falling gently around his face. Draco sighed and walked over to the dresser, quickly changing his pajamas. In his sleep Harry mumbled something and rolled over. Draco peered over his shoulder at him, still fast asleep.

He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, went to the bathroom and then walked back into the room. There was no putting it off, he crawled into bed next to Harry. But he didn't lay down, not right away. He stayed seated, legs pulled up against his chest he stared down at the younger boy. He looked so peaceful in sleep, nothing like how he was in the day, quiet, brooding, lonesome, confused, tired. But no matter how Harry looked, Draco loved him all the same. Yes, he said it, Draco Malfoy loved Harry Potter. He just wished he could help him, fix his broken spirit somehow. Draco tentatively reached out, gently brushing a loose strand of black hair out of Harry's face. Harry didn't respond, remaining a sleeping specter, unmoving, his silent breathing the only sign that he was still alive.

Draco sighed and leaned back against the headboard. He turned his eyes away from Harry and stared out the window. The rain had stopped, and the clouds had parted ever so slightly to let the moon shine through. Draco looked at the clock, it was 10:30. He wasn't very tired, he just set there, watching the moon through the broken clouds. Time passed without him knowing as he listened to the sleeping angel beside him.

Draco knew he had nightmares every night, his thrashing always woke him up, if he wasn't always awake. And Draco usually had to give it all he had to keep himself from crying at the sound of the boys suffering. He wished he could just grab those nightmares out of his head, he'd gladly sit through whatever horrors Harry's mind conjured up every night if it meant Harry could sleep in peace.

It was around one when the thrashing began. Only it was worse that normal. Harry's breathing deepened, and he moaned as if he were in deep pain. He moved fretfully in his sleep, knotting himself up in the blankets. Draco reached out placing a cool hand against Harry's warm one.

"It's okay," he whispered, stroking his hair, "it's okay Harry." Harry relaxed momentarily, letting out a small whimper his eyes flew open. Green eyes met gray. The two boys stared at each other for a moment before Draco quickly moved his hand, whispering a quick sorry. What happened next neither of them expected, and to this day neither can explain.

Harry practically leapt up, wrapping his arms tightly around Draco's neck, he buried his head in his shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's small frame, he could feel his sweat through the thin shirt Harry wore to bed. Harry was still shaking.

"Please," Harry whispered quietly, "don't let go."

"I won't," Draco whispered back, "I promise." Harry slowly relaxed, the shaking eventually stopping and his body cooling down. Harry's breathing began to slow as he fell back asleep, still wrapped tightly in Draco's arms. Draco moved the smaller man, laying him down on the bed, tucking the blankets in around him he lay down himself.

Harry had just been in a feverish state of mind, he hadn't really meant it, he was just tired. It meant nothing. But a small part of Draco's mind refused to believe that. Harry began the move in his sleep again, a whimper escaping his lips. Draco didn't wait, he moved right beside the boy, pulling him tightly to his chest. Harry calmed almost instantly, relaxing into the other boys arms. They slept like this, each in the others arms. And for once, Harry didn't have the nightmare. Because he had found who he'd been looking for, and it had been Draco all along.

If you review I promise not to cast a spell which will cause Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" to be stuck in your head for all eternity, but if you don't...


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